Collins when asked if he always knew he was gay: "I sort of describe it as you know that the sky is blue, but you keep telling yourself it's red."

Collins on initially fighting his feelings: "When you finally get to that point of acceptance, there's nothing more beautiful. Allowing yourself to really be happy and be comfortable in your own skin.

Collins on what President Barack Obama told him: "He was incredibly supportive and proud of me and said this not only affected my life, but others going forward."

Collins' advice for a young athlete who is gay: "It doesn't matter that you're gay. The key thing is it's about basketball. It's about working hard. It's about sacrificing for your team. It's all about dedication. That's what you should focus on."

Collins on loyalty to his teammates being a factor in not announcing sooner: "You don't want to be that distraction because for me it's always been about the team, but I know in my personal life I am ready and the country is ready for supporting an openly gay basketball player."

Collins on whether he is surprised it hasn't happened sooner: "I never set out to be the first and you're sort of waiting around for someone else to raise their hand. I'm ready to raise my hand. But you still look around and are like 'come on guys.'"